[xzins]

The Apostles came first. Their testimony precedes the Church and was the accepted rule over the church. Their writings ARE their testimony.

After their deaths, the believers VERIFIED those writings that were the apostles. The believers did NOT write those writings.

Once full body of the word of the apostles was identified, the believers had to become subject to the testimony of the apostles.

[pegleg]

The Apostles came first. Their testimony precedes the Church and was the accepted rule over the church. Their writings ARE their testimony.

What Church?

[Tantumergo]

"Their testimony precedes the Church and was the accepted rule over the church."

Why do you see such a contradistinction between the Apostles and the Church? The Apostles ARE the Church, THEY are the rule over the Church. Their writings are only a part of their rule and testimony. (Albeit highly authoritative.)

Do you really think that they lived in close communion with the rest of the believers for 30 - 40 years, and those believers only had their scanty scraps of writings as their abiding testimony?

The NT can be read from cover to cover in a few hours. How can 30 years of teaching, living, exhorting, worshipping, laughing, crying all be compressed into a few pages?